A memory dump is a capture of data currently stored in RAM. Because RAM holds active program state, it can contain passwords, session tokens, encryption keys, process arguments, open documents, and other sensitive runtime material that may never be written to disk.
In cyber security, memory dumps matter because they can reveal secrets that help an attacker move faster inside a network or bypass protections. Intruders may create dumps with forensic tools, built-in operating system features, or malware, then search them for credentials or code artifacts. Defenders also use memory dumps for incident response, malware analysis, and root-cause investigation, but they must handle them carefully because they can expose privileged data. Security teams often watch for unusual dump creation, suspicious access to process memory, and the unauthorized use of legitimate diagnostic tools.